Introduction :
Would you like to embrace with one look the highlights of Switzerland? Well,
this is possible if you come to SWISSMINIATUR. There are many ways to look at
things. You can go on top of Mount San Salvatore, look down and follow the slim
curve of the bridge of Melide, watching cars and trains like ants cross the
lake You might then go down to Melide, and step into the fascinating world of
SWISSMINIATUR: peaks of the majestic Swiss Alps within the reach of your hands,
surprisingly prefect remakes of famous buildings in miniature, lakes so lovely
to inspire romantic thoughts, scale models of trains, funiculars and cableways
to make you dream of future trips. Now, imagine all this among thousands of
fragrant flowers of over 15'000 sorts: a colourful palette in a sea of greenery
to enjoy and refresh your eyes SWISSMINIATUR, Switzerland in miniature, offers
you all this and more. Created in 1959, this park is thought to show its visitors
places, buildings and traditions of Switzerland without hurry, slowing down
the steadily growing rhythm of our lives. You can reach SWISSMINIATURE with
any kind of locomotion. The area expands over 14'000 square meters and offers
facilities to satisfy the various needs of any single visitor we are lucky to
welcome: a playground for kids, a restaurant with its terrace, a boutique full
of funny souvenirs The staff of SWISSMINIATUR is looking forward to welcome
you, happy to give you magic moments of pleasure
History and Location :
Swissminiatur was opened in 1959. The area for the realization of the
project was chosen in the first instance because of the beauty of its
landscape choreography and for its climate.
This area of the Lugano region lies at the shore of the lake Ceresio,
surrounded by mountains with luxuriant vegetation such as Monte Generoso and
Monte San Salvatore.
Melide is situated at the northern edge of the bridge crossing the lake.
The advantages of being connected with the highway, the cantonal road, the
railways, the boat, the bus from and to Lugano allow our clients to reach us
easily.
Car travelers and groups coming by bus can easely find parking facilities
close to the exhibition
From the very start our aim has been to synthesize, to symbolize and to
summarize Switzerland in some way. Therefore, almost like on a scenery, a
mountain symbolizes our Alps as well as the foothills of the Alps, the
lakes, according to your imagination, may be Lake Leman or the Lake of
Costance, a river may be the Rhine as well as the Rhone.
Inside you will find more than 120 models representing the patrician
houses, the castles, the cathedrals and other buildings of Switzerland. For
the fans of the railways-models we have more than 3500 m of rails with no
less than 18 trains, funiculars, rack-railways, cable-cars and boats in
motion.
All the models of our exhibition are built on the scale of 1:25.
A park for children will allow you to sit quietly on the restaurant-terrace
while your children have fun.
Garden-enthusiasts will find more than 1500 different plants and over 15000
flowers.
Swissminiatur is an open-air museum where one can admire the most important
Swiss buildings and means of transportation. All the 1:25 scale models are
inserted in a 14'000 m2 park, decorated by 15'000 flower varieties and more
than 1500 trees. Swissminiatur is 5 Km from Lugano and 1 Km from Campione
d'Italia. The motorway junctions to and from Lugano are at only 200 m. and
50 m. respectively from the park.
Opening Times :
Open from 19 March until 30 October 2005 daily,from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
How to reach us :
By Car
Highway A2
Direction South (Chiasso - Italy)
Exit in Melide - direction Bissone
Direction North (S. Gotthard)
Exit in Bissone / Campione d'Italia direction Melide
By Train
From Lugano you get to Melide in 7 minutes. The train station is 200 meters
from the Swissminiatur entrance away.
Lugano 8.53 9.53 10.23 11.23 11.53 12.23
Melide 8.59 9.59 10.29 11.29 11.59 12.29
Lugano 13.23 14.23 15.23 16.23 16.53
Melide 13.29 14.29 15.29 16.29 16.59
From Chiasso, the trip to Melide takes about 21 minutes
Chiasso 9.05 9.35 10.05 11.05 11.35 12.05
Melide 9.24 9.54 10.24 11.24 11.54 12.24
Chiasso 13.05 14.05 15.05 16.05 16.35
Melide 13.24 14.24 15.24 16.24 16.54
By Boat
The boat is a valid alternative to the car or the train to reach Melide.
After an approximately 35 minutes trip, passing by Campione d'Italia an
Bissone, it docks just 150 meters from the Swissminiatur entrance away.
Going trip :
Lugano Centrale 8.00 10.00*1 11.50 14.00*1 14.30*2 15.05*1
Melide SNL 8.35 10.33 12.25 14.37 15.05 15.35
Back trip :
Melide SNL 9.39*2 11.00*1 13.35*2 13.43*1 16.10*2 16.59*1 17.25*1
Lugano Centrale 10.20 11.35 14.15 14.20 16.45 17.30 18.00
Models at the park includes :
Burgdorf Castle
Chillon Castle near Montreux
ICRC Headquarters in Geneva
Madonna del Sasso, Locarno
Main Street and Arcades in Murten
Minster in Basle
Ring-Square in Biel, BE
Saint Pierre Cathedral in Geneva
The "Schlössi" and "The house in the Castle garden"
in Aarau
The House of the Federal Parliament Bern
The Town Hall of Zofingen AG
Thun Castle
Town hall in Schwyz
Uri Castle and Schwyz Castle in Bellinzona
And much more.....
